“People-centered” philosophy is the value orientation of Chinese modernization

Unwaveringly adhering to “people-centered” development is the fundamental stance of China’s economic development. To pursue people-centered development means always taking the pursuit of happiness for the Chinese people, the fulfillment of people’s aspirations for a better life, and the realization of people’s free and well-rounded development as both the starting point and ultimate goal of economic progress. The people-centered development philosophy was first put forward at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC reiterated the people-centered approach multiple times. This principle runs through every aspect of China’s economic work in the new era.

The scientific connotations of people-centered economic thought

The people-centered economic thought is rich in meaning, offering a profound answer to the fundamental theoretical and practical questions of for whom development is pursued, on whom development depends, and who should share its fruits? Its core connotations include:

Chinese modernization is for the people, with the people as its value objective, underscoring that the people’s aspirations for a better life are our goal;

Chinese modernization relies on the people, with the people as the principal agents of practice, calling on the masses to draw on their local conditions and work positions to give full play to their creativity and initiative, thereby forging a powerful collective force to drive all-round development;

Chinese modernization takes “people’s well-rounded development” as its essential nature, stressing that the fruits of modernization are to be shared by the people, that people’s satisfaction is the measure of progress, and that common prosperity entails both material and cultural-ethical enrichment for all.

For example, guided by the “Fengqiao Experience” in the new era, over 90 percent of grassroots disputes and conflicts in Zhuji, Zhejiang Province, are resolved at social governance centers at the township and village levels. Beijing’s “community based whistleblowing and interdepartmental coordination”, Zhejiang’s “one trip at most,” the comprehensive medical reform in Sanming, Fujian Province, and innovative reform initiatives across the country since the new era such as “one-stop integrated services”, “one-network services”, and “one seal for approval” all vividly reflect the ethos that development is for the people and depends on the people, with its fruits shared by the people.

Core features of people-centered economic thought

People-centered economic thought encapsulates the CPC’s class character, original aspiration, nature and purpose, and ideals and convictions. First, it interprets the CPC’s original aspiration. Second, it embodies its nature and purpose. The people’s perspective, stance, and values epitomize the CPC’s nature and purpose. The people-centered philosophy is a vivid illustration that helps people understand the CPC’s nature and purpose. Third, it highlights the contemporary value of Chinese modernization. The people-centered approach is what fundamentally sets the Chinese path to modernization apart from that of other countries, serving as the basic value orientation, the starting point, the ultimate goal, and the standard of measurement for Chinese modernization. Fourth, it underscores the powerful driving force of the CPC’s governance. The people are the principal force propelling social and national development, and people’s practice is the primary driver of historical and contemporary evolutions and changes. The “people-centered” approach arises from the practical needs of the Party and state building in the new era, representing the dialectical unity of practical logic, historical logic, and theoretical logic.

The practical force of people-centered economic thought

As a value orientation in practice, the people-centered approach clarifies the key questions of “for whom to act” and “how to act”, while providing answers to a series of important issues concerning both the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and the people at large. We must fully recognize that Chinese modernization is the cause of the entire people, and that it must firmly rely on the people, drawing upon the inexhaustible wisdom and strength within them. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee has stood firmly with the people, worked actively to improve the institutional system through which the people run the country, and continuously deepened its understanding of the people’s extremely important role in the Party’s and the nation’s development. In advancing high-quality development, it has continually realized the people’s aspirations for a better life; in developing whole-process people’s democracy, it has effectively ensured that the people run the country; in building cultural confidence and strength, it has continually met people’s ever-growing intellectual and cultural needs; in vigorously strengthening social development, it has worked to raise people’s quality of life; and in steadily advancing green development, it has gradually enhanced people’s sense of fulfillment and happiness.

In various areas, a wide array of concrete and tangible results have been achieved. For example, in the drafting of the Civil Code, opinions were solicited publicly on ten separate occasions, yielding 1.02 million comments and suggestions from all sectors of society. In this way, the Civil Code became a legal compendium safeguarding the rights of the broadest possible population. At the grassroots level, various forms of democracy, such as “courtyard deliberation halls”, “household consultation meetings”, and “consultative discussion rooms”, have emerged, ensuring that the people genuinely participate in governance in various aspects. In urban renewal projects, some regions require multiple rounds of consultation with residents on renovation, with stipulated approval thresholds. If the threshold is not met, the projects would not proceed. All these specific measures vividly demonstrate the fundamental stance of people-centered economic development and notable improvement in people’s sense of participation, happiness, and security.